Here's a short list of some recommended Data Modelling Tools in alphabetical order, and
if you have any specific recommendations or comments, please email me.
There's a short note about about Data Modeling and Database design at the bottom of the page,
and here's
an even more comprehensive list of CASE Tool Vendors, maintained by David Alex Lamb of Queen's University, Ontario, Canada.
| PRODUCT |
VENDOR |
PRICE |
COMMENTS |
| Argo UML |
Tigris |
Free - Open Source |
For Modelling UML Diagrams - but not for the faint-hearted.
|
| Azzurri Clay |
Azzuri (Japan) |
Free !!! |
From Japan -Open Source Plug-In for Eclipe - Reverse Engineering and generates SQL.
Pro version costs 35,000 Japanese Yen (about $150) !!
|
|
Case Studio 2 |
CharonWare |
Free Download, then $175(Lite) or $369(Full) |
Looks impressive - supports an unusally wide range of Databases, including Firebird, MaxDB,Postgres - if you try it, please me have your comments.
Here's a "5-Star" Review from Dan Horn. |
|
CASEWise |
CASEWise |
  |
Aimed at Business Process Modelling, but has links to DataArchitect. |
|
ConceptDraw
|
CS Odessa |
$179 (50% off) |
For ERD, UML, ORM, FlowCharts, etc. - Free Download Trial is available.
I like the appearance of the diagrams this Product produces and this is an important consideration for me. |
|
DataArchitect |
Sybase |
$2,000 |
If you are buying for the company, buy this one.
DataArchitect is part of Power Designer, which is described below. |
|
DataArchitect |
TheKompany |
$39.99 |
Highly recommended by Andy Brown and an unbeatable price.
Comments and experiences please.
|
| Database Design Tool (DDT) |
Open Source |
  |
THANKS VERY MUCH to Josh Bosh,
Milwaukee's most beloved Web specialist, for providing this link.
|
|
Database Design Studio |
Chilli Source
|
$39 - $200 |
Comes in two versions - Lite at $79 ($39 Educational),
which supports ERD Modeling and Forward Engineering
and Professional at $299, which adds support for Reverse Engineering.
|
|
DBDesigner 4 |
FabForce.net
|
Free
(Donations welcome) |
Open Source and highly recommended if you work with MySQL.
|
| DB Diagram Designer |
PrimeLogics |
Offers a free evaluation download or $130 to buy. |
Looks very interesting - modeller plus data editor using ODBC connections.
If you try it please let me know your opinion. |
| Dezign |
Datanamic |
Offers a free download or $139 to buy. |
If you are buying for yourself, buy this one - now offers
a free Tutorial. |
|
Dia |
Gnome Office |
Free - Open Source |
Designed to be like Visio |
|
Druid |
From SourceForge |
  |
Generates SQL Scripts and Java classes.
Thanks again to Josh Bosh. |
|
Enterprise Architect |
Sparx Systems |
$99 |
UML Analysis & Design Tool and very affordable. |
|
ER Creator |
Model Creator |
About $100 |
Includes a Tutorial and a Trial version. |
|
ER Diagrammer |
KeepTool |
$240 |
Free download is available and a User Forum is supported. |
| ER/Studio |
Embarcadero |
Trial Version available |
A comparative Study of Database Design Tools is available (requires registration). |
|
ERWin |
Computer Associates |
  |
One of the Market Leaders |
|
Happy Fish |
Polderij NV. (in Dutch) |
$89 |
A great name and a new Product so
please tell us
if you have any experience with it. |
|
ImportER MySQL |
Datanamic |
Excellent value at $55 |
Reverse Engineering for MySQL |
| MagicDraw |
No Magic |
  |
Award-winning UML Modeller and very popular with Java enthusiasts.
|
| OR-Compass |
Logic Works |
POA |
Object-Relational Modelling.
I saw this mentioned in a User Group somewhere, but the only reference I found is in
this 1998 article in DBMS magazine.
Logic Works was taken over by Platinum, which was taken over by CA, and the CA Product
Listing does not include OR-Compass.
If anyone can give me a URL, I'd be very grateful.
|
|
Oracle Designer |
Oracle |
$200 |
Available from the
Oracle Technology Network (free to join).
Oracle says "Oracle Designer is our model-driven development tool based on the principles of Information Engineering." |
Oracle J-Developer
Thanks to Irwin Coskey for helping me keep this up-to-date. |
Oracle |
$200 |
UML diagramming is part of J-Developer.
Also available from the Oracle Technology Network.
Oracle says "Oracle JDeveloper is an integrated development environment with end-to-end support for modeling,
developing, debugging, optimizing, and deploying Java applications and Web services."
|
|
PG Designer |
From John. |
  |
Open Source - for PostgreSQL.
Thanks again to Josh Bosh. |
|
Platinum Repository |
Computer Associates |
  |
This is a Repository, rather than a Modelling Tool, with a 'Where-used' facility,
and it lets you add entity types,such as Business Function, Business Role and Script.
|
|
Poseidon |
GentleWare |
  |
Comes highly recommended, good for UML, and has an open-source FREE version.
|
|
Power Designer |
Sybase |
$2,000 |
If you are buying for the company, buy this one.
The Data Modelling Tool in this composite product is called "DataArchitect".
Unfortunately, the design of the web site has changed recently and
information about Data Architect is difficult to find.
But the product is excellent, and I have found its powerful Reverse Engineering facilities to be very useful. |
|
ProVision WorkBench |
Proforma Corporation. |
Prices on Application !!! |
"A Repository-based integrated business process and object modeling toolset."
An interesting range of Data Model Exchange facilities.
|
|
QDesigner |
Quest. |
Pricing difficult to find on the Quest Web Site |
From the 'Toad Company' - looks good and is well-recommended by at least
one satisfied user - a downloadable Trial is available(rather substantial at at 63MB).
|
|
Saphir |
Silwood Technology |
$14,000 is an indicative price |
Saphir is more than a Modelling Tool. It sits between an ERP like SAP and
a Modelling Tool like ERWin.
It provides a very useful and powerful Metadata manipulation package which allows you to extract metadata
from ERPs such as SAP, J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft, which can then be 'reverse engineered' into a Modelling Tool like ERwin, to see the Data Model. |
|
SmartDraw |
SmartDraw |
$50 !!! |
Recommended - Promoted as a UML Drawing Tool with impressive support. |
| System Architect 2001 |
Popkin |
$3,000-5,000 per seat. |
A well respected Product, with
Downloads available for Evaluation. |
|
TogetherSoft Solo |
Borland |
Downloadable |
Supports UML |
|
Toolkit for Conceptual Modeling (TCM) |
University of Twente, Holland |
Free and Downloadable |
Very interesting combination of Tools, including UML.
Thanks to Tony Adams for suggesting a better link here.
|
| Visio |
Microsoft |
Trial CD available |
Many Versions- Standard($199),Technical($399),Professional($399) and Enterprise($999) |
| Visual Thought |
CERN (Godfathers of the Internet) |
  |
Give it a try for UML.
THANKS AGAIN to Josh Bosh,
Milwaukee's most beloved Web specialist, for providing this link. |
Win A&D  |
Excel Software |
No price information on the Web Site |
Unusually offers products for MAC as well as Windows -
UML Modelling as well as ERD.
|
| xCase |
Resolution Software |
$800 (Download Trial available) |
"xCase is a complete database design and maintenance tool including archiving and model compare and merge across
different DBMSs".
|
Useful Links :-
A short note about about Data Modelling and Database Design ...
Data modelling and database design are two very different activities.
For data modelling, the question you are asking is :
1) What does the world being modelled look like ?
In particular, you are looking for similarities between things.
Then you identify a 'super-type' of thing which may have sub-types.
For example, Corporate Customers and Personal Customers
If, for example, supplier contacts are conceptually different things from customer contacts,
then the answer is that they should be modelled separately.
On the other hand, if they are merely sub-sets of the same thing, then treat them as the same thing.
2) For database design, you are answering a different question:-
how can I efficiently design a database that will support the functions of proposed application or Web Site.
The key task here is to identify similarities between entities so that you can integrate them into the
same table, usually with a 'Type' indicator.
For example, a Customer table, which combines all attributes of both Corporate and Personal Customers.
As a result, it is possible to spend a great deal of time breaking things out when creating a Data Model, and
then collapsing them back together when designing the corresponding database.
Dan Horne writes about Case ...
"I have found Case Studio to be an outstanding tool in its market niche.
It supports a wide variety of databases, although I've only use it with Oracle,
where I have found it to be excellent.
It's a bargain at $299, and with additional licenses costing only $89, it is well
within the budget of most organizations that do not require an enterprise solution.
I've been searching for a data modelling tool for some time, but most are not within
my price range, and are generally aimed at larger companies.
The competitive products I have found are marginally cheaper, but do not support the
fundamental features I need such as the reverse engineering of existing databases.
The only weakness is the documentation, which is included as a help file.
Some topics such as exporting the diagrams to a graphic file are not covered, and there is
no detail on writing templates to enhance and extend the system.
Likewise, Data Flow Diagrams are barely touched on.
Nevertheless, I am very pleased with my purchase.
Case Studio deserves to be much better known than it is.
Regards
Dan Horne"
|